Crayon on paper. Featuring a surrealist and suprematist composition of figures. Signed with monogram VK. Stamped on verso. Attributed to Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). 25 x 30.5 cm (9.8 x 12 inches). PROVENANCE: Private estate (Perugia, Italy)

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a Russian artist whose vibrant abstract paintings paved the way for Non-Objective Art. In an effort to step outside pictorial tradition, Kandinsky often described color as sound, with several of his most famous works titled using musical terminology, including Improvisation 28 (1912) and Composition VII (1913). “Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings,” he wrote in his book Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1911). Born on December 4, 1866 in Moscow, Russia, as a child he studied music and drawing but chose a career in law as a young man. It was not until 1896 at the age of 30, that Kandinsky moved to Munich to pursue an education in painting. While in school, he forged relationships with Franz Marc, August Macke, Alexej von Jawlensky, and Gabriele Münter. Together, these artists formed the short-lived Der Blaue Reiter group. Due to the outbreak of World War I, Kandinsky returned to Moscow, where he spearheaded Russia’s embrasure of avant-garde aesthetics, holding posts at both the University of Moscow and the Institute of Artistic Culture. After returning to Germany in 1921, Kandinsky began teaching at Walter Gropius’s newly formed Bauhaus School in Weimar. The school was shuttered by the Nazi regime in 1933, and the artist was once again forced to flee Germany. He died on December 13, 1944 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Today, Kandinsky’s works are held in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Gallery in London, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Albertina in Vienna, among others.

All lots that do not carry established documented provenance nor any past record of auction history record are described in the catalog as attributed .

All authorship of items in this catalog are described according to the following terms:

Signed [Artist Name] : In cases in which the signature is legible in the lot, this work is described as-is with no attributions given.

By [Artist Name] : The work is by the artist.

Attributed to [Artist Name] : The work may be ascribed to the artist on the basis of style, but there may be some question as to actual authorship.

In the manner of [Artist Name] : The work was executed by an unknown hand, but was designed deliberately to emulate the style of the artist.

After [Artist Name] : The work was executed by an unknown hand, but is a deliberate copy of a known work by the artist.

Circle of [Artist Name] : A work of the period of the artist showing his influence, closely associated with the artist but not necessarily his pupil.

Follower of [Artist Name]: A work by a pupil or a follower of the artist (not necessarily a pupil).

American, 19th century : This work was executed by an unknown hand, and can only be identified by origin (i.e., region, period).